


A Flicker of Hope

by MarvellousFaery



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Uchiha Itachi, Canon-Typical Violence, Deviates From Canon, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi, Ninja Politics, Rare Pairings, Shisui is the best wingman, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:41:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23567773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarvellousFaery/pseuds/MarvellousFaery
Summary: Condemned as a failure, she sets out to carve her own path in the midst of slain corpses, seeking her own purpose and maybe, just maybe, finding a flicker of hope.
Relationships: Sarutobi Asuma/Yuuhi Kurenai, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Shisui & Original Female Character(s), Uchiha Itachi/Original Female Character(s), Uchiha Sasuke & Original Female Character(s), Uzumaki Naruto & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: New story! A Naruto one at that! It's the 9th of April and my bday so I'm celebrating with this.
> 
> My OC has been heavily inspired by Sanji from One Piece (as you'll see) but she'll be different in many ways here. I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> As always this wouldn't be happening without my wonderful beta, CookieAdvocate (read her Naruto fic it's AMAZING)!
> 
> Stay home if you can, wash your hands and stay safe!

It was raining.

It seemed morbidly fitting that the sky decided to weep along with her.

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she squeezed the hands interlocked with her own and felt them squeeze back. The six year old peered at the portrait displayed alongside the casket, her ears lent to the eulogy playing in the background.

The woman in the picture was the epitome of beauty - deep ocean blue eyes in the midst of bountiful blonde hair as yellow as the setting sun, smooth as opulent silk of the highest standard. She bore the kind smile that exuded warmth that never diminished. Even in death, in a sea of grim faces, her smile never wavered. Her kindness to everyone around her, be they of lower status or nobility, was a rarity amongst nobles.

Lady Sora truly was a beloved figure, especially in her country. The Land of Lightning will mourn the loss of their Lady for years to come.

But her children would intimately feel the loss of her presence as it will lead to catastrophic consequences.

The little girl was broken out of her thoughts as the eulogy came to an end and the entire household behind her began retreating back to the mansion, returning to their duties. A few sobs and sniffles echoed from the dissipating crowd, but she paid them no mind as her father, The Lightning Daimyo, approached her and her siblings. The stern look on his hardened face made her lose any lingering hope that he may have comforted her in their grief.

Her brothers kept their hands interlocked the entire way back home. Her sister and third brother were leading the way. _I wonder if we would be allowed to have a sleepover in Eri-nee-chan’s room..._

Lessons for that day were cancelled, so while Eri headed on her own path for the time being, she promised to join them later on. The four of them headed back to her room, hiding away from the misery that was their mother’s death. When they asked her where she was running off to, the thirteen year old simply said she had a secret mission to tend to.

It was the oldest of them, Ichiro, who was the first to roll the name of their late mother off his tongue. His flaming red hair shining bright in the sunlight that was streaming through the window as he animatedly spoke about the time Sora made him katsudon to cheer him up after having lost to Eri in a spar. Jiro, the second born from the quadruplet, jumped in with his own story when their mother taught him how to style his tousled blue hair. Of course Kana and Shiro, the blonde third and green haired fourth-born respectively, not to be outdone by their older siblings spoke of how Sora often read stories to them before bed. From there it escalated to who had a better story and almost broke into a fight if not for their pink-haired older sister entering the room with their dinner prepared.

That night, they did have a sleepover, for which none of them asked for permission from father, but also having not seen him since they parted ways at their mother’s funeral.

He’s been locked up in his study since then, not even coming out to eat. The servants had to bring him dinner instead.

The scene when any servants or guards that came to check on them was heart-warming in a way. Five multicolored heads were piled on the bed, one after the other, from eldest to youngest.

The very next day, their lessons started once more. From reading and writing to economics and politics, they had to learn everything a noble and the children of the Daimyo needed to know. Though unofficially, their father had their shinobi guards teach them how to tap into their chakra and use it efficiently, as well as teaching them basic taijutsu.

And for the next month all was as normal as it could be, the only difference to _before-_ aside from the palpable absence of their loving mother- was that the children didn’t stop sleeping together though they may have had to change rooms.

Until one fateful evening, after dinner, the siblings all gathered on Kana’s bed, Eri broke the comfortable silence.

“Okaa-chan told me to keep you all safe,” the quadruplets all turned to their older sister in confusion and she met their gazes head on, her solemn expression beginning to worry them.

“There’s something you all need to know and it’s important so don’t interrupt me until I finish.”

There was fear and distress in the air but it was Kana that broke the silence that descended upon them.

“It’s about me isn’t it? About the bad man Tou-san wants to give me away to,” her statement came as a surprise to her three brothers, they whipped their heads around, diverting their attention to her and gaped at the blonde in disbelief and confusion, while Eri simply nodded with grief-stricken eyes.

“I’m protected since I’m the heiress, but you’re not. Kaa-chan always protected you from Tou-san’s ambitions but she knew once she passed, nothing would stop him from making a contract with a nobleman for your hand in marriage. So I’ve been making plans to get you away from here to protect you.”

There was absolute silence as everyone digested what the eldest sibling had confessed.

“What’s marriage?” it was Shiro who asked, the youngest’s face was scrunched up in confusion at the familiar word.

“It’s what Tou-san and Okaa-chan had but to make things simpler, it means a man Tou-san makes a contract with will take Kana away from us when she’s older and make her sad and maybe even hurt her,” the girl didn’t elaborate further, she couldn’t tell her siblings about the nobleman that father had picked. Sora explained to her who he was and how despicable of a human being he was, she would not have let that bastard touch a single hair on her sister’s head.

Eri was very protective of her younger siblings and often got into fights with their father when it came to his... teaching methods. And she wasn’t about to let a disgusting man hurt her youngest and only sister. She promised her mother she was going to protect Kana from her cruel fate.

The boys looked horrified at what she said, while Kana looked resigned, defeated; unable to do anything but stare at her lap.

“What’s the plan?” Jiro was the other who asked, a determined look on his face. The same face he often had when he was planning a prank on one of their guards. Eri’s blue gaze locked with each of the quadruplets’ brown ones and she knew that this would work.

_It has to. I won’t let you down, mother._

Kana’s chocolate brown eyes were indecisive but one look at her siblings and it eased her childish conscience, she felt protected. _They loved her. She’ll be safe._

“The plan Okaa-chan and I made is dangerous but we have to do it. There’s nothing else. The nobleman is coming in a month and we have to get you out of the country by then.”

“Didn’t you say he wouldn’t take Kana-chan until she’s older?” Ichiro asked, his red eyebrows furrowed in hesitation.

“Yes, but if the contract is signed then Tou-san can send her away with the nobleman whenever he wishes and-” she didn’t continue. All of them knew that their father thought Kana as a weak progeny and a failure; there was no doubt in their minds, he would not hesitate to send her away if she ever displeased him.

_“You’re..s-s-sending me a-away?”_ a wobbly voice quietly spoke up. The six-year-old had tears in her eyes as she stared at her siblings. Ichiro immediately sprang forward and wrapped her in a hug.

Eri’s eyes also teared up, but she didn’t let them fall. “Yes, for your own safety.”

“When will I see you all again?” that question had the boys whimper and scoot closer to Kana.

“I don’t know.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Back with another chapter of this little (lol more like insanely long) fic. This isolation has made everything crazy and my muse is at 0 but hopefully that changes now. Hope you like this! Enjoy!
> 
> Stay safe and wash your hands!

The day started out normal for the whole household except for the five children - for them it was about to be the worst day of their lives.

The Lightning Daimyo, Tsuyoshi, started his day by having breakfast with his children in the grand dining room – not once speaking to them other than to inform them of their training schedule. Meanwhile, his heir, Eri, was mentally revising her plan, going over every single detail time and time again, hoping that it would pan out as meticulously as it was planned out.

The quadruplets were their usual selves to their father, loud but nimbly eating. Had he looked closer he would have noticed the gloomy expressions that they wore, yet the determination was all but extinguished; had he bothered to care, perhaps it would have clued him in that something was amiss.

At the end of their meal, the grumpy blond man told his children that an important nobleman will be visiting the next day, that they must be on their best behaviour though that went without saying, and if they ever decided to show an ounce of disobedience, they would know what would befall them. After the not-so-subtle warning, he left to tend to his study, likely burying himself in his paperwork and generally ignoring his brood.

"Let's go to the garden before our lessons begin,"Eri suggested, her gaze downcast as was her attitude. Her younger siblings dutifully followed her – their personally assigned guards quietly following after them at a respectful distance, out of earshot but close enough that should the kids raise their voices, even a single pitch, they would hear.

The garden was a beautiful scenery encompassing the vast part of their estate. It was a large glass house protected by seals to withstand the harsh weather of their country and the great heights, as it was located high in the mountains. Most buildings in the highlands regions of the Land of Lightning were build unto the mighty mountains, rather than at their foot in their valleys, nor around or on top of them.

Trees and flowers of all kids were planted in the gardens, even plants native to the other Elemental Nations. Much like the famed Water Lily flowers native to the Land of Water were grown in a specialized section of the garden where a large pond was located. They were a gift from Tsuyoshi to Sora for their tenth anniversary and the Daimyo's wife took care of them herself and later on with help from her children.

Near the large pond was a bench where the children often ran off to when they wanted to be alone. While the quadruplets took a seat, Eri stood in front of them, pacing from one end to the other. The thirteen-year-old was preparing herself for what was about to unfold and it was obvious to her younger sister that this was the last day she would be spending in the garden – and most likely with her siblings as well.

"The nobleman is coming tomorrow, that means we need to get Kana-chan out of the country by then?" Ichiro asked, the tone of his voice mimicking the grim reality of their situations. The red-head was staring at the water lilies in front of them, avoiding the gazes of his siblings.

"Yes, kaa-chan* already had everything written down for me so it wasn't hard to plan it all. Takeshi-dono will be taking you to Akazaya village, there a tourist ship will be docked and awaiting. There will be many people traveling to the Land of Water, Waves and Fire. You need to sneak on the ship and get as far away as you can. The most stable countries right now are the Land of Fire and Waves so I suggest picking a village somewhere in those two nations. In the end, it's up to you imouto*," the pink haired girl's blue eyes were pitifully looking at her sister's tearful brown ones.

"Is Takeshi-dono trustworthy enough for this?" Shiro asked, the youngest always had a habit of questioning and doubting adults.

"Kaa-chan trusted him with this."

That was enough for the quadruples. Their mother was a good judge of character and if she entrusted Takeshi with her youngest daughter then they would too.

"How can he help me? He's the Captain of the guards, wouldn't his absence be noticed?" Kana's soft voice spoke up, so unlike her usual loud and obnoxious tone. The young blonde hasn't been the same since Sora's death and the reveal of her unwanted fate.

"Takeshi-dono has every Friday night off so he can visit his sick otou-san*, remember? He comes back Saturday afternoon to resume his duties," Jiro reminded his sister, who nodded in understanding.

"When are they leaving?" Ichiro whispered, his eyes landing on his older sister for the first time since the conversation begun.

"Tonight at midnight. Takeshi-dono always leaves after his shift at eight in the evening, he will head in the direction of his otou-san's house until he's out of range of our ninja guards. I'll be taking you myself to him using the servant's passage. After that...It's up to you two to get to the tourist boat."

The discussion came to an abrupt end as a guard unexpectedly came up to them to remind them of their training.

…

At eight o'clock, the noble family saw each other once more for dinner but this time without their father. The servant notified them that he was in his study and wouldn't be joining them that night. That suited the children just fine as they could spend their last moments together as a family with no worries.

There was laughter, loud retellings of some pranks and complaints about some obnoxious noblemen and their families. The air was filled with love and happiness but there was a familiar yet imperceptible undertone of sadness, not once noticed by the guards and servants around them.

The Daimyo's offspring all went to Kana's room for a sleepover, which their father often disapproved of but he rarely ever caught them. The maids nor their guards would never tell him unless asked directly, as they took pity on the noble children under their father's strict tutelage, sympathized with them enough to let them act like normal kids in their stolen childhoods.

They all cuddled and laughed while they still could. The boys were all dressed in their pyjamas but the girls were in their training clothes. Kana's essentials were sealed in a scroll and stuffed in the inner pocket of her cloak, among other items, items that included a picture of her family when her mother was still alive.

Come midnight and Kana couldn't stop the tears from escaping her eyes any longer as she hugged her brothers goodbye. They shared a womb together, they were as close as siblings could get, they were her other halves(?) and she didn't know how she could live without them. The boys looked on the verge of bawling but kept themselves in check as to not alert the guards stationed in front of the room.

Looking at the clock on Kana's wall, hanging impeccably over her desk, Eri warned Kana that the switch in their guards's shifts was going to happen in a minute and to get ready to jump out of the window and head down towards the bridge that the servants often used to travel between houses. From there on, they would head towards the servant quarters located in the house that was built into the hill next to theirs.

Afterwards, it was just a straight run through the closed bridges and heading towards the clearing where Takeshi would be waiting for them.

Sneaking around like this wasn't new to any of the children as they did this regularly. They were being trained by their father to become mercenaries so they had the skills needed to sneak around if they were careful enough. A genjutsu that masked their chakra and scent was all that was needed and it was a jutsu taught to them by their father personally as he was the one that created it.

As the clock struck midnight, the two young girls jumped from the open window and disappeared from view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *kaa-chan - mom
> 
> *imouto - little sister
> 
> *otou-san - father


End file.
